UPA to UPI: Anurag Thakur on India's Development Journey

New Delhi, Feb 27 (PTI) India will become a developed nation much before 2047 through initiatives of the government and contributions from all quarters, including the industry, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said here on Tuesday.

Addressing the Viksit Bharat @ 2047 conclave organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Thakur said India moved from being counted among the fragile five economies in the world to the top five due to the bold policies and decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The senior BJP leader said the prime minister was empowered to make tough decisions because of the clear mandate he received in the elections.

"If you look back at 2014, we were among the fragile five economies of the world. There were corruption cases. There were many other issues faced by a lot of people where the delivery was a big challenge. From a lost decade to 'techade', how this journey has been from the time of UPA to the time of UPI, I think that things have changed," Thakur said.

He said the prime minister focussed on implementing the assurances he had made to the people and this ensured that the beneficiaries received their due.

Thakur said things have changed for good and a record number of national highways, airports, AIIMS, IIMs, IITs, medical colleges, metro rails and rural roads were built over the last 10 years.

"What we have delivered in 10 years, others could not deliver in 60 years. That is a big difference, that is how we have moved from fragile five to top five," the Union minister said.

Thakur also thanked the taxpayers for diligently paying taxes and asserted that the prime minister has used the funds diligently and ensured that every section of the society benefited from the policies of his government.

The senior BJP leader said the prime minister believed in teamwork and the principle of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas."

Thakur said India was witnessing a transformation over the past 10 years and the party leaders will contest elections over the next 100 days to make Modi the prime minister for the third term.

He also urged the industry to share its wishlist with the government as it would be helpful in charting policies for the future.